Why We Fight
by TheEliteLabRatsLover
Summary: Oliver finds out about Henry's death and comforts Barry.


**Okay, guys, it happened. I finally watched a full episode of the Flash! I know, I know, you're probably like; "uh, you write fanfic for the show...don't you usually watch it?" Well, things are kind of complicated in my family, and they don't even know I write fanfiction for the show, let alone even like the Flash. So yeah. They won't even let me watch certain Disney shows, so CW ain't ever happening.**

 **But I didn't just get to watch one, oh, no, I watched the full first EIGHT episodes! Whoo-hoo! Now, onto my next statement, ;), I just really wanted to see Team Arrow be involved with Henry's death, since Barry showed up for Laurel's, thus this was born. Now agian, since I've barely even watched any Flash and none of the Arrow, I'm not sure when Damien Darhhk was killed compared to Henry Allen's death, and so forth. So, I hope that this makes some sense. ;) Now, enough of my babbling, onto the story!**

 **Oh! One more ting; don't forget that I'm now accepting prompts! ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I won nothing of this. Wow...I'm so tired that I can't even think of anything funny to put...**

* * *

Oliver didn't know how to feel when he heard the news.

He didn't know how to react.

Only one tangible thought in his weary, and exhausted mind; _God, no, not again_.

Why did this keep happening? Why did the universe find so much pleasure in ripping loved ones away from each other?

He had been training when Felicity had gotten the call. Too lost in his own deep, tormented thoughts to notice his surroundings.

Too lost thinking about _that_ night. The night a vigilante was lost. The night a daughter, a friend, a _hero_ , was lost. It wasn't until he heard Felicity's pained word, a single word, choke through her lips, that he broke out of his daze and turned his attention towards her.

She was sitting in her- _the_ \- he corrected himself bitterly, _the_ wheelchair.

He would never think of as _belonging_ to her. She sat there, one hand placed firmly on her mouth, as if to stop from sobbing, the other one clutching onto the phone, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.

"Felicity?" He asked, cautiously, but she ignored him as he moved over to her side.

"How's-" Hiccup. "How's he taking it?" She managed to choke out. A muffled response from the other end of the phone, and she closed her eyes. "Oh, Barry..." She sighed quietly, exhaustion and sadness in her voice. At the mention of his friend's name, Oliver's curiosity and worry only seemed to increase.

 _What happened_? _Was he all right_? _Did he need help_? So many questions circled in Oliver's brain. He knew about what had happened when Zoom had attacked Barry; taken his speed and beaten him senseless.

The mere thought of what that man, no, _monster_ , had done to Barry, began to make an uncontrollable rage fester inside of Oliver. The measures that Barry had gone to, in order to get his speed back because of that demon, still haunted everyone one of Barry's friends, including Oliver.

Because, what if they hadn't gotten him back?

He would have been just another friend...another hero lost to the abyss.

He's brought back to reality when Felicity hangs up the phone, taking a moment to compose herself, failing as she takes a deep breath.

She looks up at him, eyes so full of pain and tears, and so full of heartache that Oliver just wants to sweep her away, protect her from every awful thing in this awful world, but with the sinking feeling of ' _I can't_ '.

Just like how he couldn't save Laurel. "Oliver..." Comes Felicity's strained voice, as she grabs onto his forearm, as if it's an anchor for her from reality. He kneels down, and cups her face.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He asks soothingly, knowing that whatever answer he gets is going to be devastating. Because _nothing_ good could have happened to cause this. She closes her eyes for a moment, inhaling, before opening them, a fresh round of tears in them.

"Barry's dad...Zoom killed him." Felicity chokes out, and Oliver feels his heart, and his whole body sink, as he closes his eyes and absorbs the news. _Barry_... "That-that _monster_ killed him in cold blood, right in front of Barry. Just to-" Hiccup. "Prove that _it_ and Barry are the same. Itdid it in the same room where the Reverse-Flash killed Barry's mother." Another hiccup.

"Why does this keep happening?" She asked, voice cutting off as a sob wracked her body. He immediately pulled her into his embrace as she cried, burying her face into his chest; seeking comfort.

Tears began to build in his own eyes, a terrible feeling of an all too familiar sickness filling his stomach. The initial shock was fading away, and in it's place, the horrible reality sinking in. Barry's father was dead. Right in front of him. Just for Zoom's twisted and sick game. His jaw clenched. Barry didn't deserve this.

 _None_ of them deserved _any_ of this.

Nobody signed up for this.

And to find out that the demon that Zoom is did all of this just to prove a _damn point_?

To prove that Barry is just as evil as _it_ is?

It sickened Oliver, and that same rage began to build deep down inside of him. Felicity continued to sob as Oliver tried to offer as much solace as he possibly could at this point, still reeling from the news himself. This wasn't fair. _None_ of this was fair by _any_ stretch of the imagination.

But through it all, only one thought remained...

 _Why, God, why.._?

* * *

He misses the funeral.

He's too busy fighting Darhhk that he can't even go to Henry Allen's funeral and at least try to offer some comfort to what was left of his family. He had hardly even met the man, but he had simply heard enough about him to know that he was a great man who had been through far too much.

Much like his son who seemed to be following exactly in his father's footsteps.

Even when Barry had talked about his father, excitedly telling all of Team Arrow one time on a visit/mission that his father had been freed from prison after being wrongfully convicted of a murder that would forever change everyone's lives.

And just by the way Barry had talked about him, had proven to Oliver just how much Barry loved his father, and the other way around. It had been reassuring to Oliver, that, even amidst evil and destruction, good things still happened. Families were still being joined after years of turmoil.

It had been comforting.

And now...now Barry's family had been ripped apart all over again.

Oliver finds himself at the West's front doorstep, the sun hiding behind some grayish blue clouds. As if to prove that there was hope, and that it was only hidden by a sheet of darkness. Felicity had decided to stay back at the Cave with the rest of the team, since she wasn't sure if she could handle the trip right now.

And the rest of them not wanting to intrude.

So Oliver had made the trek to Central City by himself. Not that he was upset about it. It was for the best, and he was almost glad for the privacy. And he was sure that Barry would be, too. He rings the doorbell, the chiming almost too cheerful on such a dreary day, and a young man of different color opens the door.

One of the West's that Oliver has never met, even though he had heard much about him.

 _Wally_ , Oliver thinks, that was the kid's name. He opens the door, a bit unsure when he realizes that it was Oliver Queen right in front of him, and Oliver offers the best smile that he possibly could right now. Knowing that the past several weeks have been hard on all of them.

Wally invites him in after a few exchanged words, and Oliver can sense the shock rolling off of the kid when Joe and Iris barely make a move when he walks in, only offering a small smile.

Oliver wonders distantly if he knows about the Flash's identity yet. Oliver gets straight to the point, not harshly, but almost in a matter of urgency. He needs to see Barry, needs to know that he's all right, and that there's still that light in his eyes.

Because if there's not...Oliver didn't want to think of what that could mean.

He asks where Barry is and they tell him. The same place he's always at, they say, the cemetery where Henry was buried. Oliver nods curtly and exits the room; one destination only on his mind.

When he arrives on his motorcycle, he sees a lone figure out in the distance, kneeling before a gravestone, fresh dirt covering the corpse of a man whose life was taken too soon. Oliver sets his helmet aside and walks slowly towards the figure, knowing that it, indeed, was Barry crouched in front of the headstone, fingers playing with the grass below him.

As if it's his only anchor from the crushing blow of a loss. Oliver wonders briefly if it is.

"I'm sorry that I missed the funeral," Oliver says as he walks up to Barry, but the latter never moves. Oliver knows that Barry knew he was there, yet he never acknowledge's Oliver's presence.

"You were busy." Barry declares after a moment and Oliver nods slowly.

"He was a good man." Oliver states and Barry huffs quietly, a small, fond smile forming on his lips.

"One of the best," He says quietly.

"I'm sorry that I didn't know him better," Oliver says quietly, as if he's grasping at straws for what to say. _How_ to say it. How to make Barry feel better. Though he knows that it's nearly impossible.

"He would have liked you." Barry says after a moment, glancing to the side, yet never fully looking at Oliver. "Especially for how stubborn you are." Barry says and Oliver chuckles quietly as Barry turns his head back. "He was the same way." He murmurs quietly, and Oliver feels the need to make the remark; 'you got that from him.', but decides against it.

He wants to keep Barry talking, though. Wants to stop him from falling back into the wordless and blank abyss.

The self-blaming and guilt filled path that Barry's mind was on. And by doing that he needed Barry to talk. But he knew that he needed to say these words. It's all a son ever wants to hear. Ever wants to be reassured of. Oliver, himself, would know.

"He was proud of you, ya' know." Oliver declares, voice firmer than before, and Barry huffs humorlessly.

"For what? Not being able to save him when he was literally only feet in front of me and I'm one of the fastest men alive? Yeah, best son of the year award." Barry stated dryly and Oliver swallowed hard; only slightly shocked by the amount self-loathing in his voice.

Barry shakes his head, a sigh escaping past his lips as the sarcasm leaves his voice and instead takes on an even worse self-disgust. "It should have been me." He declares quietly, fingers clenching in the grass as his jaw follows suit. Oliver crosses his arms and his head dips, hating to see Barry like this. He closes his eyes and lightly shakes his head.

"Barry..." He murmurs, unsure of what else to say.

"I begged to Zoom to kill me instead. At least I would deserve it. Not my dad. He didn't deserve any of this. But Zoom wouldn't do it. Wanted to prove that I'm just as evil as he is." Barry huffs dryly, disgustedly, and Oliver bites his lip, looking towards the sky for a moment.

"I'm gonna' make him pay. For everything that he's done." Barry declared and Oliver sighed, his heart aching for the kid in front of him. The once innocent and optimistic kid that has experienced too much in his short life.

"Barry, you don't-you don't want to do that." Oliver says with a sigh, and Barry immediately stands up and spins around until he's facing Oliver. And Oliver feels as if he has just reached the tipping point, and Barry is about to explode. The anger is practically radiating off of him. But Oliver remains still; face impassive through it all.

"Like you? You mean, like how you killed Darhhk? That was _justice_ , Oliver! Not just for Laurel, but for everybody else. Zoom has killed so many innocent lives. And for what? Just to be better!? To have _trophies_." Barry says, disgust lacing his seething words.

"He kills them because he _wants_ to, Oliver. He wants them all _dead_. Not just my father, but everybody else. And he's not going to stop. He's going to continue and do it until every last one of you has been _killed_ right in front of me."

"He's promised me that. And I'm not just gonna' stand by and let that happen. He deserves to die, hell, he deserves a lot more than that!" Barry declares, jaw clenching as he looks at Oliver, before turning around once more.

Oliver sighs, knowing that Barry's right.

He just doesn't want him to be.

Not in a self-righteous way, but, this means that Zoom is as evil and powerful as they all feared. And by each step of the way of his plan, he's slowly tearing Barry apart, piece by piece, until there's nothing left but despair in the heart and soul of everyone's favorite speedster.

"Barry, I know that he deserves it, but you can't keep on doing this to yourself! It's going to destroy you!" Oliver started off calmly, but his emotions took into play nearing the end. Barry huffs as he runs his hands through his hair, clasping his fingers behind his neck and turning to look at Oliver.

"Everybody says that like they _know_ , but they _don't_. They don't know what this is like. You do, that's why I thought that I could trust you with this!" Barry exclaims, the hurt in his voice as he shakes his head after a moment. His voice is desperate, almost pleading. "I guess I can't trust anybody anymore, can I?" He murmurs quietly, shoulders and chin sinking with defeat and exhaustion.

"Barry," Oliver starts, unsure of how to finish. How was he supposed to console him? Supposed to tell him that he can indeed always trust his own family and team Arrow, when he knows that no, you _can't_ always trust them.

So many prime examples; Dr. Wells, the man who had saved Barry's life was the same man who had killed the kid's own _mother_ , _Zoom_ , and Oliver, himself, had far too many to even share.

The thing was that you _can't_ trust everybody.

So how could you know for sure when you actually could trust somebody? You could never know if they would turn out to be against you. "You can always trust your family. And us. You can _always_ trust us." Oliver declares and Barry huffs quietly as he shakes his head.

"No offense, Oliver, but you and I both know that I can't. One of the many things that you had taught me, is that you can never fully trust somebody." He scoffs. "But I guess that I was too naive about that then, too. I can never learn, can I?" Barry rhetorically asks, the self loathing in his voice growing immensely with every syllable.

"Barry, you need to stop. This isn't going to end well, and you _know_ it. _None_ of this is your fault!" Oliver exclaims as he gestures around him.

"You didn't cause any of this, so stop being so damn self-deprecating and realize that you are _not_ guilty." Oliver declares, voice firm and strong, yet Barry doesn't pay attention to him, instead he kneels down in front of the gravestone, splaying one hand on the top of it before gripping it.

"Zoom challenged me to a race," Barry states quietly and Oliver guffaws, looking to the side for a moment in disbelief. What all did this evil mastermind have up his sleeve? "He wants to prove that he's better. Faster." Barry continues in that same quiet voice, even though his knuckles on the gravestone begin to turn white. "If I win, then I can save the multiverse, stop Zoom's reign of destruction." Barry says, and Oliver frowns.

"But if you lose?" He asks thickly, the worry in his voice strong enough to be detected by Barry.

"The multiverse is gone. This world is destroyed, and Zoom keeps on killing."

"And you?" He asks quietly, afraid of the answer. After Barry doesn't answer for a moment, Oliver continues. "What happens to you?" Barry turns his head slightly as he looks up at Oliver, and it scares him how dark Barry's eyes are. How devoid they are of any real emotion.

"I become one of his trophies." Barry declares quietly and Oliver closes his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Barry, you don't have to race him." Oliver says quietly, weakly. Hoping that he can change the young speedster's mind, but fully aware that he _can't_.

"Yes, I do, Oliver. This is my one chance to defeat Zoom, and if I don't take it, then the whole world and every _universe_ out there is doomed." Barry sighs quietly. "I don't _want_ to race him. Hell, I don't want to even come within ten feet of him," He states feebly, voice weak as if he's on the edge of tears. "Some hero I am." He mumbles and Oliver sighs as he moves and kneels beside Barry.

"Barry, I know what you're going through. I had the exact same thing with Darhhk, and almost every other evil villain out there. The truth is, no matter how brave we all seem, we're all terrified underneath that mask." Barry looks at him, almost resembling a scared little boy who's afraid to ask a simple question.

"Even you?" Oliver smiles and places a hand on Barry's shoulder.

"Even me." Oliver declares and Barry sighs, running a hand over his face.

"God, I miss him," He states quietly and Oliver nods silently, knowingly.

"He's proud of you, Barry. Remember that." Oliver says and Barry nods slowly, swallowing thickly. "And I know that you will defeat Zoom." He states as he stands up, and Barry looks up at him, confusion layering his features.

"You _really_ believe that the Flash can defeat Zoom?" Barry asks and a small smile forms on Oliver's lips.

"No, I don't. But I _know_ that Barry Allen can. The Flash may be about speed, Barry, but you're about the heart and family and friends. And when you're fighting for that, then you will always win. The heart is what we fight for, it's _why_ we fight." He declares and for the first time in a long time, Barry _smiles_.

"Thanks, Oliver." He says, and Oliver can see the smallest hint of hope in Barry's eyes.

"Anytime, Barry." He states, and with a small smile and tip of his head, he turns towards his motorcycle. He can't help but notice the way the sun is setting, the orange glow casting through the clouds, as if to say, ' _there is hope_ '.

And for the first time in a long time, Oliver believes it.

Even though there will always be dark in this world, there will always be light, also. And as he revs the engine of his motorcycle turning to leave, but not before sparing one last glance at the lone figure in the graveyard, he knows that this is true. There will _always_ be hope.

After all, hope and love is the reason for why they fight.

And as long as there's hope, they will be fighting.

* * *

 **Ta-da! Let me know your thoughts and I'll love you for life! Even if they're not the nicest... ;)**


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